Purgatives, or bowel preps as they are more commonly called, are very difficult to swallow. The purpose of bowel preps is to flush the patient's colon prior to exam by a physician. The biggest complaint patients have with colonoscopy exams is taking the bowel prep because of the horrible taste and amount of fluid ingested.
Colon cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in the United States. It can easily be detected with today's technology, however a large portion of people who should be screened fail to get the exam. Part of the reason is the difficult preparation procedure. In order for a doctor to see the inner lining of the colon using a colonoscope, they need the patient to have a cleaned out colon. The current bowel preps on the market are used by either mixing a solution into a clear fluid drink or by taking multiple pills the night before the exam. A problem with these solutions is the unsavory taste of the solutions and the amount of fluid needed to flush the colon.
Directions seem to be another problem with the current products on the market. Patients get confused and have to call the doctor's office for advice. Some of the products require drinking a gallon of fluid the night before an exam. That is a lot of fluid considering it has an extremely salty taste and powdery texture. Some patients have to hold their noses when swallowing the contents. Patient compliance is low with these products due to the large amount of required fluid consumption.
The main problem with these preps being distasteful is that with each sip the medicine saturates one's whole mouth making them less inclined to follow the proper directions for use. Patients do not like the taste, so patients will not drink all the fluid. The patient also has to follow mixing instructions which for some can be confusing. This makes it harder for the doctor to see the patient's colon being that there is bio burden still left in the colon. There has not been a bowel prep developed that provides ease of use, quickness and a palatable taste in a manner that is pleasant to the patient.